The Last in Line is a brilliant rock album from Dio.

My partner was always prompt. She loved to arrive early and be first in line. She was never last in line. Imagine how annoyed she was to be beaten to the front of the lake steamer queue by 4 feathered friends….

It shows you how untidy the house and filing systems are that every week more long lost photos are found. Long forgotten memories. Lake trip to Interlaken. A lovely trip on a beautiful Swiss Lake. Baking hot August day. We managed to get the very front window seats. Took us back to being kids and that feeling of excitement when you get the top front seats on a double decker bus.

We sat at the front and a waiter arrived offering wine. When we said 10am was a little early the waiter said in perfect English ‘nonsense never to early the English need to relax a bit’ and brought two large glasses anyway.

I remember the boat meal. My partner ordered lunch in her really good German. It helps that she had a little bit of Germany in her DNA. We both were veggies and our little boy was on a balanced diet of Jus de Pomme, Fries and Ice Cream. When the meal came it was a revelation. Son was happy – his balanced diet arrived. One veggie (me) was happy as my egg salad and fries arrived. One veggie (not me) was less pleased as a Aufschnittplatte arrived. A huge cold meat and cheese plate. Not quite the plain green salad. Being very British we decided not to create a scene. I lost the ensuing arm wrestle and had my first meat meal in 14 years. To my eternal damnation I milked my moment of chivalry to the full. Not admitting that the meal was rather nice. Sorry K. xxxx

Amazing how a single photo of 4 birds can bring back so many memories.

Now to play my Last in Line cd and bring back memories of a stellar concert at the Newcastle City Hall many moons ago.

78 thoughts on “The Last in line”

  2. Such lovely memories. I have sevetal small totes of photographs and experience much the same sort of thing. One photo can morph into a million memories. Sometimes they can be painful, sometimes joyful – much like life itself.

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  4. It is amazing how a picture of birds on posts can make you think of so much more. Memories are amazing things. The way they make us feel and how they allow us re-live the past, all in our head.

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  5. I’ve been doing the same thing today, but I fear I don’t have very good control over my emotions lately. A few tears. Your photo of the birds is amazing. And I always enjoy your stories. I hope one day your son reads them all.

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  6. Had to Google “Aufschnittplatte” with one eye closed and a grimace cos I knew it wouldn’t be good. Lot of meat going on there.

    That photograph immediately brought to mind the gulls all “Mine! Mine! Mine!!!” from Fining Nemo which actually made me laugh aloud. Imagined them all fighting over that big plate of meat-feast.

    Another great post and brilliant memories 🙂

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  9. 1st meat meal in 14 years???

    You SURE you’re from Yorkshire??? (The Home of The Pudding??)

    She knew by the way – they ALWAYS know when you are enjoying yourself!

    She forgives you anyway.

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      1. I didn’t and I gave up. His confirmation passed and they used a silly photo. I am hoping now that since I stopped looking it will just present itself in front of me.

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  13. I love the…”balanced diet of Jus de Pomme, Fries and Ice Cream.” Every childs dream! Keep talking about all those wonderful memories with your son, he will treasure them when he’s older.

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  14. Years ago (more than I like to remember), I attempted to use my almost forgotten GCE French skills to order a breakfast in Bordeaux. My toast and marmalade came as slices of ham and croissants. Later that day I ordered ‘Perno avec du limonade.’ I received a shot of the liqueur and a two litre bottle of lemonade. I learned that knowing a little bit of a language may help with signs, and labels, but don’t try the communication route, because it invariably doesn’t work.

    Lovely memories… 😊

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  15. I really enjoyed this post. Memory is a theme that is really on my mind right now and I’ve just written 3 posts about it. I’m not sure exactly when your partner passed away but reading your posts give me great comfort knowing such sadness can be survived and you can cherish and share your beautiful memories. Katie

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      1. Thank you so much for saying so, it really means a lot when people read our blog and take something from it and comment. I too enjoy reading your blog and take great comfort in knowing that people do carry on. I find it really hard to imagine my life two years from now, but reading your blog makes me think I will get there one day.

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      1. I get the not wanting to eat animals. I really do. But, there are other factors. Animals eat other animals so, ethical concerns…don’t concern them. Killer whales will snatch and eat other young whales. Dolphin eat fish. A bear will eat YOU and not bat an eye or feel sorry for you as it chews (we are not always at the top of the food chain). I realize that many will say that they don’t “think” like we do but, our pets…our smart dogs & smart cats…will kill & eat.

        Then, there is the nutrition. Many vegetarians, and especially vegans, have trouble with B12 and amino acids that plants can not provide. Vegans also eat WAY to much toxic canola & soy. Canola used to be Canadian machine gear oil and Asians will tell you that soy should only be consumed fermented.

        The spiritual Native Americans ate buffalo and they blessed the buffalo for their sacrifice. They wasted nothing of the animal. Don’t get me started on the folks that attack others for eating animals as they drive around in vehicles with leather seats and wear leather shoes.

        Didn’t mean to rant. I backed off of most red meat (I will occasionally eat a grassfed filet and some Bison) and birds. I do consume sea food, duck eggs, organic butter and goat milk…just in case you were wondering! LOL!

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      2. It’s mostly health grounds now with a fair bit of makes me feel better. The reason I started was very ethical. I was at Uni and trying to get to know a girl called Wendy better. On our first night out she said she was a veggie – I panicked and said I was as well. I ended up staying a veggie longer than she did….

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      9. I think Veganism, Flexitarianism, Vegetarianism, Pescatarianism, etc., are all personal expressions of our own body’s needs, sensitivities, and answers to animal cruelty and environmental concerns. It is a choice made upon a multitude of factors. Basically we are highly adaptive omnivores and we can survive on a variety of diets. The question we don’t have a real answer to (perhaps because there isn’t one) is which one are we most adapted to eat? Modern processed foods are likely the least healthy but again, we have adapted to eat them.

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      11. Flexitarianism? Is that a real term or your humor?

        Human ‘food’ consumption is a very broad spectrum. There are those that consume very little of anything on spiritual grounds. On the other end, you have those that will eat anything that isn’t nailed down.

        The ones that eat certain things & don’t eat other things so they can virtue signal on social media can just shut up. Zero credibility.

        The one thing the body cannot live without is protein. Without it, our bodies cannot repair themselves. Building blocks… We are ‘adapted’ to consume that, for sure.

        There are those that claim food choices should reflect blood type. I don’t know whether that is true or not but, it is interesting.

        I wouldn’t go so far as to say we have ‘adapted’ to eat processed foods. I think we have had them shoved in our faces and made easy to access. And, don’t get me started on GMOs.

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      12. Flexitarian is a real term and is adopted by people who eat small amounts of meat at times. Most herbivores like cows, horses, Elephants, etc… Do not lack protein. It is in lots of plant based stuff. Humans eat meat because it is a way to get the protein that animals eat in a concentrated form. The reason that we get B12 from meat is because grazing farm animals ingest soil when they graze. It is produced by organisms in the soil. I’m guessing that you don’t know that if animals are raised in factory farms (no grazing), they must inject the animals with vit B12.
        I do not entirely agree that we have not ‘adapted’ but been coerced to eat certain foods. I think most people know when a food doesn’t agree with them physically, or emotionally. It comes down to choices.

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  17. Pingback: The Last in line – A Dad trying to cope with the loss of his Partner and becoming a single parent. – International Badass Activists

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